The Guy from 88: Fashion vs Expression

Disclaimer: The following conveys my individual thoughts and opinions, and does not represent expert or authoritative views. Feel free to agree, disagree and pass judgment by leaving a comment.

Now on Friday I went to a party at 88, in Norwood (not my usual scene but fun due to the different experience). So anyway, one of my friends, who I was with, decided to point out some guy dressed in a way not familiar to us, and asked for my opinion on whether I would consider the way he was dressed fashion. My answer was, maybe it’s not fashion but it’s definitely expression. This was not enough for him. He wanted to know the difference between fashion and expression, so I tried giving him a succinct answer without delving into a tedious discussion for the rest of the night. However, it did spark an ongoing thought-provoking dialogue, with Ntokozo, me, myself and I, which lasted the entire weekend.

Fashion by definition of the online Oxford dictionary is a popular trend, especially in clothing. Now to me this definition easily disqualifies the guy from 88 because he wasn’t dressed in a mainstream, ‘popular’ manner, well at least not for a black South Africa male (the one time I didn’t have my camera!). Nothing really about him represented ‘popular’, or at least in my mind what I would expect to see in Men’s/L’uomo Vogue or GQ for example. But then again, there’s the other side of the coin. See the party was a drum and bass party, what I consider the more alternative scene in Johannesburg. So now, in terms of this scene, the way the guy from 88 was dressed could be considered trendy, ‘popular’ and thus fashionable.

In contrast, self – expression by definition is the expression of one’s feelings or thoughts, especially in writing, art, music or dance. So again, in my eyes, I think that the guy from 88 was expressing his thoughts and feelings expressed through music, in his clothing. Of course, I do think the two (fashion and expression) can be combined, hence the reason for my blog. People can take the mainstream, the popular, and the trendy, and turn it into their own; self – expression.

I guess you could consider it a grey area. Regardless, I am all for grey this season, next season, in vintage and à la mode. Just dress in manner that makes you feel comfortable, and makes you feel good. And if by chance it appeals to my eye, or my camera lens, you may find you and your attire making an appearance in my blog.